How to Say “Go Safely” in Korean

By •
잘 가요
jal gayo
In Korean, "go safely" is expressed as 잘 가요 (jal gayo).
The phrase is a friendly way to say goodbye to someone who is leaving. Note that 잘 가요 is specifically used when the person you are speaking to is the one departing. If you are the one leaving, you should use 잘 있어요 (stay well) instead.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase 잘 가요 is composed of 잘, which means "well" and 가요, which means "go". Literally, it means "go well".

Which one should you use?

While 잘 가요 is a standard way to say goodbye to someone leaving, other variations exist depending on your intent. You can use 안전하게 가세요 to say "go safely", 조심히 가세요 to mean "go carefully" or "be careful on your way" or 편안한 여행 되세요 to mean "have a comfortable journey".

How does it change in a sentence?

You can adjust the politeness of the phrase by changing the verb endings. Removing the polite ending -요 from 잘 가요 results in the informal version 잘 가, which is used with friends or those younger than you. Conversely, adding the honorific suffix -세요 to the stem results in 잘 가세요, which is a more respectful way to say goodbye to someone older or of higher status.

How do you pronounce it?

jal gayo

Did you know?

  • The word 가요 in 잘 가요 is a homonym for the Sino-Korean word for 'ballad', which is borrowed from the Chinese characters 歌謠.
  • When saying goodbye, the choice between 잘 가요 and 잘 있어요 is strictly determined by who is departing, unlike English where 'goodbye' works for both parties.

Examples in context

  • 조심해서 잘 가요.
    josimhaeseo jal gayo.
    Go safely and take care.
  • 먼저 가요, 잘 가요!
    meonjeo gayo, jal gayo!
    I'm leaving first, go safely!
  • 집에 잘 가요.
    jibe jal gayo.
    Go home safely.

Example conversation

Jihoon and Seoyeon are leaving a cafe after a meeting.

  1. 지훈 Ji-hun

    서연 씨, 오늘 즐거웠어요.
    Seoyeon ssi, oneul jeulgeowosseoyo.
    Seoyeon, it was fun today.
  2. 서연 Seo-yeon

    네, 저도요. 조심해서 잘 가요.
    ne, jeodo-yo. josimhaeseo jal gayo.
    Yes, me too. Go safely.
  3. 지훈 Ji-hun

    네, 지훈 씨도 잘 가요.
    ne, Jihoon ssi-do jal gayo.
    Yes, Jihoon, you go safely too.
  4. 서연 Seo-yeon

    내일 봐요!
    naeil bwayo!
    See you tomorrow!

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏
Ellie Claire
Ellie ClaireHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Scroll to Top